As soon as the Apollo 11 mission is slated for the first lunar landing, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins are thrust into the media spotlight, despite the fact that they are undergoing some of the most intensive training that the U.S. space program has put a crew through. And in some cases, such as a jet-powered landing simulator which almost kills Armstrong, even the training is a hazard to the crew. But despite their devotion to their duties, even the crew is not immune to contemplating the historical nature of their mission – especially not Buzz Aldrin, whose desire to be the first man to set foot on the moon makes a policy decision necessary months beforehand. And when Apollo 11’s lunar module, the Eagle, begins its final descent toward the surface of the moon, it seems as though the training simulators’ worst-case scenarios may all come back to haunt Aldrin and Armstrong at once.
written by Al Reinert, Graham Yost and Tom Hanks
directed by Frank Marshall
music by James Newton HowardCast: Sam Anderson (Thomas Paine), David Andrews (Frank Borman), Roger Bernard (Control), Betsy Brantley (Jan Armstrong), Tom Brooks (Jack Garman), Dan Butler (Gene Kranz), Joe Candelora (Cameraman), Bryan Cranston (Buzz Aldrin), J. Downing (Capcom), Cary Elwes (Michael Collins), Timothy A. Franta (Surgeon), David Drew Gallagher (RETRO), Tony Goldwyn (Neil Armstrong), Dan Hagen (Honeycutt), Don Harvey (Flight director), Bill Leavy (GNC), Mikki McKeever (Pat Collins), Timothy McLaughlin (TELMU), Andy Milder (GUIDO), Jeffrey Parrish (Booster), Michael Rafferty (Back room man #1), Roger Ranney (Back room man #2), Diana Scarwid (Joan Aldrin), Nick Searcy (Deke Slayton), Robert Serwatka (EECOM), Lane Smith (Emmett Seaborn), Jack Swanson (Priest), John Wickersham (FIDO), Rita Wilson (Susan Borman)
LogBook entry by Earl Green
